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Red Sox: End of 2018 BoSox Injection roundtable discussion

By Sean Penney

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 28: The Boston Red Sox celebrate with the World Series trophy after their 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Five to win the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 28, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 28: The Boston Red Sox celebrate with the World Series trophy after their 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Five to win the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 28, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 08: Brock Holt #12 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates after hitting a two run home run against Austin Romine #28 of the New York Yankees during the ninth inning in Game Three of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 08, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

Who was the most underrated player of the year?

Brendan Mizgala: Brock Holt. This guy did everything that was asked of him all season long. Whether it was as a utility fielder or pinch hitter. He never gave any pushback to Alex Cora. Holt is the ultimate team player is he will do whatever it takes to help his squad get the “W.”

Rick McNair: In early April, Brian Johnson won a start against Miami, which is similar to beating a Double-A team. Then Johnson became the invisible man until July. The Boston rotation needed a booster shot in July and August and that was Johnson. He made 13 starts (4-3, 4.15) for the season, but the Red Sox were 9-4 in his starts. That’s exactly what you want from a spot starter – giving your team a shot at a win.

Josh Greenberg: I think the most underrated player this season was Eduardo Rodriguez. He battled through injuries and was overshadowed by the meteoric rise of Nathan Eovaldi, but he was mostly excellent when he was able to pitch. 13-5 with a sub-4 ERA is nothing to sneeze at and gave him a lot to build on for next season.

Robert Bouffard: Brock Holt. People have been down on him the last couple of years, but he was healthy this year and contributed his best season since he was an All-Star in 2015. He sort of had a rough go of it from mid-July until the end of August, but he had a really solid September. His versatility was even more important this year, as he was contributing offensively, too.

Steve Atkinson: Brock Holt, who only hit seven home runs this season but had 46 RBI’s. He really improved his batting average from .200 last year to .277 in 2018. Holt shined in the postseason, hitting for the cycle in Game Three of the ALDS. Also, he was a leader in the clubhouse. He didn’t get much talk in 2018 but clearly, his numbers improved.

Rudi Richards: Eduardo Nunez – I think with star players like Mookie and J.D. getting awards and the likes of David Price getting all the recognition, Nunie is a name that’s underrated, in terms of his offense. He brought a lot of big batting moments to the team and throughout the second half, he was fantastic as a stand-in at 2B and 3B.

Jason Ward: Xander Bogaerts was the most underrated player of the year in my opinion because he was overshadowed by the amazing seasons of Mookie and J.D. But Bogey was consistently productive at the plate and always seemed to come through with runners on base. He rather silently had a career year with 103 RBIs and was a major contributor for the Red Sox in their historic season.

Hunter Noll: Once again, Brock Holt covered most of the field. He helped keep second and third base – as well as shortstop – afloat while the Red Sox battled injuries. The utility-man doesn’t hit for much power but did manage a career-best seven home runs and 46 RBI. He also posted a career-high .377 OBP. His “floating” position kept him out of the spotlight more than he should’ve been.

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